Optimal covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase-containing liposomes for highly stable biocatalyst in bioreactor

The glucose oxidase-containing liposomes (GOL) were prepared by entrapping glucose oxidase (GO) in the liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC), dimyristoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), and cholesterol (Chol) and then covalently immobilized in the glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan gel beads. The immobilized GOL gel beads (IGOL) were characterized to obtain a highly stable biocatalyst applicable to bioreactor. At first, the glutaraldehyde concentration used in the gel beads activation as well as the immobilizing temperature and time were optimized to enhance the immobilization yield of the GOL to the highest extent. The liposome membrane composition and liposome size were then optimized to obtain the greatest possible immobilization yield of the GOL, the highest possible activity efficiency of the IGOL, and the lowest possible leakage of the entrapped GO during the GOL immobilization. As a result, the optimal immobilization conditions were found to be as follows: the liposome composition, PC/DMPE/Chol = 65/5/30 (molar percentage); the liposome size, 100 nm; the glutaraldehyde concentration, 2% (w/v); the immobilizing temperature, 4 degrees C; and the immobilizing time, 10 h. Furthermore, the optimal IGOL prepared were characterized by its rapidly increasing effective GO activity to the externally added substrate (glucose) with increasing temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C, and also by its high stability at 40 degrees C against not only the thermal denaturation in a long-term (7 days) incubation but also the bubbling stress in a bubble column. Finally, compared to the conventionally immobilized glucose oxidase (IGO), the higher operational stability of the optimal IGOL was verified by using it either repeatedly (4 times) or for a long time (7 days) to catalyze the glucose oxidation in a small-scale airlift bioreactor.     

Enhancement of apparent substrate selectivity of proteinase K encapsulated in liposomes through a cholate-induced alteration of the bilayer permeability

Proteinase K-containing liposomes with highly selective membrane permeability properties were prepared. The selectivity obtained was with respect to the two substrate molecules added to the external aqueous phase of the liposomes: acetyl-L-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide (Ac-AAA-pNA) and succinyl-L-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide (Suc-AAA-pNA). The liposome-forming lipid used was POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and modulation of the membrane permeability was achieved using the detergent cholate. Proteinase K-containing mixed liposomes (PKCL) were prepared by adding cholate to preformed proteinase K-containing POPC liposomes (PKL) at a defined effective cholate/POPC molar ratio in the liposomal bilayer membrane R(e). Proteinase K was kept inside PKCL with a negligible amount of leakage into the bulk aqueous phase at R(e) < or = 0.30. At higher R(e), leakage of proteinase K was pronounced, even under conditions where POPC/cholate mixed liposomes seemed to be still intact (0.30 < R(e) < or = 0.39). At R(e) < or = 0.30, the reactivity of proteinase K in the PKCL measured with the externally added substrate Ac-AAA-pNA increased with increasing R(e), while the reactivity measured with Suc-AAA-pNA remained low, regardless of the R(e) value. This showed that externally added Ac-AAA-pNA molecules permeated the liposomal membrane more easily than Suc-AAA-pNA by modulating the membrane with cholate. Consequently, Ac-AAA-pNA was hydrolyzed in PKCL with considerably higher apparent substrate selectivity in comparison with the cases of proteinase K in PKL and free proteinase K (without liposomal encapsulation). The results obtained clearly demonstrate that the prepared PKCL can be utilized as a kind of nano-scaled bioreactor system which can take up a particular target substrate with high apparent substrate selectively from the external phase of the liposomes. Inside the liposomes, the target substrate is then converted into the corresponding products.     

Curvature factor and membrane solubilization, with particular reference to membrane rafts

The composition of membrane rafts (cholesterol/sphingolipid-rich domains) cannot be fully deduced from the analysis of a detergent-resistant membrane fraction after solubilization in Triton X-100 at 4°C. It is hypothesized that the membrane curvature-dependent lateral distribution of membrane components affects their solubilization. The stomatocytogenic, Triton X-100, cannot effectively solubilize membrane components, especially with regard to the outward membrane curvature.     

Preparation and characterization of alkaline phosphatase,horseradish peroxidase,and glucose oxidase conjugates with carboxylated carbon nano-onions

Carbon nanomaterials have emerged as suitable supports for enzyme immobilization and stabilization due to their inherently large surface area, high electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and mechanical strength. In this paper, carbon nano-onions (CNOs) were used as supports to immobilize alkaline phosphatase, horseradish peroxidase, and glucose oxidase. CNOs were first functionalized by oxidation to generate carboxylic groups on the surface followed by the covalent linking of using a soluble carbodiimide as coupling agent. The CNO–enzyme conjugates were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed a specific enzyme load of ～0.5?mg of protein per milligram of CNO. The immobilized enzymes showed enhanced storage stability without altering the optimum pH and temperatures. These properties make the prepared nanobiocatalyst of potential interest in biosensing and other biotechnological applications.     

葡萄糖测定方法的比较研究

比较了传统斐林定糖,葡萄糖氧化酶－过氧化物酶比色法,葡萄糖氧化酶电极自动分析仪法测定葡萄糖。比较测定了的结果显示,三法的平均标准误差（ＳＤ）,变异系数（ＣＶ）均十分接近。通过对此三种方法的回归相关性分析显示：斐林法－酶终点比色法的回归方程为ｙ＝０．９８４３ｘ＋６．３２３９,相关系数Ｒ＾２＝０．９９８９,斐林法－自动分析仪法的回归方程为ｙ＝１．００８８ｘ＋２．０４８３,相关系数Ｒ＾２＝０．９９９１,     

苜蓿夜蛾葡萄糖氧化酶cDNA的克隆、表达及特性研究

【目的】从苜蓿夜蛾Heliothis viriplaca体内克隆葡萄糖氧化酶(Glucose oxidase,GOX)基因cDNA序列,并进行原核表达及活性测定。同时对GOX在不同组织的特异表达及对葡萄糖诱导反应的特性进行研究。【方法】以苜蓿夜蛾为材料提取总RNA,利用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增技术,扩增苜蓿夜蛾GOX基因全长cDNA序列。利用原核表达载体p ET-21b在大肠杆菌中表达苜蓿夜蛾的GOX基因,并用Ni-NTA亲和层析柱将带His-tag的目的蛋白进行纯化,再利用梯度透析法进行复性,以葡萄糖为底物进行酶的活性测定。同时利用Real-time PCR分析GOX的组织特异性表达和对葡萄糖的诱导反应。【结果】该cDNA序列有2 154个碱基,开放阅读框1 824个碱基,编码607个氨基酸组成的多肽,分子量为67.04 ku,多肽的等电点为5.13。该序列命名为Hv GOX,在Gen Bank的登录号为KT907054。序列分析表明,Hv GOX的氨基酸序列与其他昆虫的GOX氨基酸序列高度同源。该基因在大肠杆菌表达系统中成功地进行了诱导表达,表达出与预测的蛋白分子量相符的融合蛋白。由原核表达载体表达后的蛋白经过变性、纯化和复性后有活性。Real-time PCR结果表明,该基因在苜蓿夜蛾的不同组织均有m RNA水平的特异表达,其中在唾腺中的表达量最高;同时用0.01%、0.1%、1%和10%葡萄糖溶液浸泡的大豆叶喂食的幼虫,幼虫体内的GOX的表达均被诱导,且在10%的浓度时诱导表达量最高。【结论】本研究在苜蓿夜蛾体内获得一个新的葡萄糖氧化酶基因,该结果为进一步研究葡萄糖氧化酶在昆虫体内的生物功能奠定基础。     

Complexes of glucose oxidase with chitosan and dextran possessing enhanced stability

Abstract

In this study, the different mole ratios of glucose oxidase/chitosan/dextran–aldehyde and glucose oxidase/chitosan/dextran–sulfate complexes were synthesized. The modification of glucose oxidase by non-covalent complexation with dextran and chitosan in different molar ratios was studied in order to increase the enzyme activity. The enzyme/polymer complexes obtained were investigated by UV spectrophotometer and dynamic light scattering. Activity determination of synthesized complexes and free enzyme were performed at a temperature range. The best results were obtained by C_chitosan/C_{dextran–aldehyde} = 10/1 ratio and C_chitosan/C_{dextran–sulfate} = 1/5 ratio that were used in thermal stability, shelf life, salt stress, and ethanol effect experiments. The results demonstrated that both complexes were thermally stable at 60?°C and had superior storage stability compared to the free glucose oxidase. Complexes showed higher enzymatic activity than free enzyme in the organic solvent environment using 10% ethanol. The complexes were resistant to salt stress containing 0.1?M NaCl or CaCl₂. The particle size distribution results of the triple complex evaluated the complexation of the chitosan, dextran derivative, and glucose oxidase. The average size of the triple complex in diameter was found to be 325.8?±?9.3?nm. Overall findings suggest that the complexes of glucose oxidase, chitosan, and dextran showed significant enhancement in the enzyme activity.     

Analysis of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin in liquorice root with microwave-assisted micellar extraction and pre-concentration

The feasibility of employing a non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-100) as an alternative and effective solvent for the microwave-assisted extraction of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin from liquorice root has been demonstrated. When compared with commonly used solvents, 5% Triton X-100 yielded higher extraction efficiency than aqueous solutions of ethanol or methanol. Under optimal conditions, i.e. 5% Triton X-100 (v/v) and microwave-assisted extraction for 3-5 min at 100 degrees C, the percentage extraction of active ingredients reached the highest value. The pre-concentration factor for the glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin was about 13, and the cloud-point extraction recoveries for the two ingredients were 98.4 and 96.1%, respectively. The results showed that the coupling of microwave-assisted extraction and cloud-point extraction could be employed as a new and effective approach for the rapid extraction and pre-concentration of pharmacologically active ingredients from liquorice root without disturbing the subsequent chromatographic analysis.     

Production of functional bacteriorhodopsin by an Escherichia coli cell‐free protein synthesis system supplemented with steroid detergent and lipid

Cell‐free expression has become a highly promising tool for the efficient production of membrane proteins. In this study, we used a dialysis‐based Escherichia coli cell‐free system for the production of a membrane protein actively integrated into liposomes. The membrane protein was the light‐driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin, consisting of seven transmembrane α‐helices. The cell‐free expression system in the dialysis mode was supplemented with a combination of a detergent and a natural lipid, phosphatidylcholine from egg yolk, in only the reaction mixture. By examining a variety of detergents, we found that the combination of a steroid detergent (digitonin, cholate, or CHAPS) and egg phosphatidylcholine yielded a large amount (0.3–0.7 mg/mL reaction mixture) of the fully functional bacteriorhodopsin. We also analyzed the process of functional expression in our system. The synthesized polypeptide was well protected from aggregation by the detergent‐lipid mixed micelles and/or lipid disks, and was integrated into liposomes upon detergent removal by dialysis. This approach might be useful for the high yield production of functional membrane proteins.     

Structures of reduced and ligand‐bound nitric oxide reductase provide insights into functional differences in respiratory enzymes

Nitric oxide reductase (NOR) catalyzes the generation of nitrous oxide (N₂O) via the reductive coupling of two nitric oxide (NO) molecules at a heme/non‐heme Fe center. We report herein on the structures of the reduced and ligand‐bound forms of cytochrome c‐dependent NOR (cNOR) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a resolution of 2.3–2.7 Å, to elucidate structure‐function relationships in NOR, and compare them to those of cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) that is evolutionarily related to NOR. Comprehensive crystallographic refinement of the CO‐bound form of cNOR suggested that a total of four atoms can be accommodated at the binuclear center. Consistent with this, binding of bulky acetaldoxime (CH₃‐CH=N‐OH) to the binuclear center of cNOR was confirmed by the structural analysis. Active site reduction and ligand binding in cNOR induced only ～0.5 Å increase in the heme/non‐heme Fe distance, but no significant structural change in the protein. The highly localized structural change is consistent with the lack of proton‐pumping activity in cNOR, because redox‐coupled conformational changes are thought to be crucial for proton pumping in CCO. It also permits the rapid decomposition of cytotoxic NO in denitrification. In addition, the shorter heme/non‐heme Fe distance even in the bulky ligand‐bound form of cNOR (～4.5 Å) than the heme/Cu distance in CCO (～5 Å) suggests the ability of NOR to maintain two NO molecules within a short distance in the confined space of the active site, thereby facilitating N‐N coupling to produce a hyponitrite intermediate for the generation of N₂O. Proteins 2014; 82:1258–1271. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Development and characterization of a novel bioactive polymer with antibacterial and lysozyme‐like activity

The development and characterization of a novel bioactive polymer based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase enzyme (GOx) in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film showing antibacterial activity is presented. The PVA‐GOx composite material was extensively characterized by UV‐vis, X‐ray Photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy and by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to verify the preservation of enzyme structural integrity and activity. The antimicrobial activity of this composite material against Escherichia coli and Vibrio alginolyticus was assessed. Furthermore the lysozyme‐like activity of PVA‐GOx was highlighted by a standard assay on Petri dishes employing Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell walls. The findings from this study have implications for future investigations related to the employment of PVA‐GOx system as a composite material of pharmaceutical and technological interest. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 461–470, 2014.     

Characterization of the distribution of glucose oxidase in Penicillium sp. CBS 120262 and Aspergillus niger NRRL-3 cultures and its effect on integrated product recovery

Glucose oxidase (GO) is an important industrial enzyme typically purified from Penicillium and Aspergillus sp. As GO distribution within the cultures influences process design for maximal product recovery, distribution of GO activity in Penicillium sp. CBS 120262 and Aspergillus niger NRRL-3, during mid-exponential and stationary phases, is compared. On progression from mid-exponential to stationary phase, the percentage GO activity in the cytoplasm decreased 1.6- and 1.3-fold in Penicillium sp. and A. niger respectively. In Penicillium sp., a concomitant 1.8- and 1.9-fold decrease in the percentage GO activity in the cell envelope and slime mucilage respectively, translated into a 2.0-fold increase in the extracellular fluid. In A. niger, decreasing cytoplasmic GO activity was accompanied by 1.3-fold increases in the cell envelope and slime mucilage, with a 1.3-fold decrease in the extracellular fluid. Similar trends were observed in specific GO activities. As final GO activity recovered is governed by the purification program, recovery from the extracellular fluid plus cell extract or from the extracellular fluid only were compared through simulating processes of varying complexity. A critical yield for each purification stage was identified above which recovery from the extracellular fluid plus cell extract exceeded that from extracellular fluid alone. These results highlight the influence of microorganism, harvest time and efficiency of downstream process on GO activity delivered. In the systems studied, Penicillium sp. is the organism of choice and should be harvested during stationary phase. The purification process chosen should be informed by both enzyme distribution and individual purification stages yields.     

Human MICAL1: Activation by the small GTPase Rab8 and small‐angle X‐ray scattering studies on the oligomerization state of MICAL1 and its complex with Rab8

Human MICAL1 is a member of a recently discovered family of multidomain proteins that couple a FAD‐containing monooxygenase‐like domain to typical protein interaction domains. Growing evidence implicates the NADPH oxidase reaction catalyzed by the flavoprotein domain in generation of hydrogen peroxide as a second messenger in an increasing number of cell types and as a specific modulator of actin filaments stability. Several proteins of the Rab families of small GTPases are emerging as regulators of MICAL activity by binding to its C‐terminal helical domain presumably shifting the equilibrium from the free – auto‐inhibited – conformation to the active one. We here extend the characterization of the MICAL1–Rab8 interaction and show that indeed Rab8, in the active GTP‐bound state, stabilizes the active MICAL1 conformation causing a specific four‐fold increase of k_cat of the NADPH oxidase reaction. Kinetic data and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) measurements support the formation of a 1:1 complex between full‐length MICAL1 and Rab8 with an apparent dissociation constant of approximately 8 μM. This finding supports the hypothesis that Rab8 is a physiological regulator of MICAL1 activity and shows how the protein region preceding the C‐terminal Rab‐binding domain may mask one of the Rab‐binding sites detected with the isolated C‐terminal fragment. SAXS‐based modeling allowed us to propose the first model of the free full‐length MICAL1, which is consistent with an auto‐inhibited conformation in which the C‐terminal region prevents catalysis by interfering with the conformational changes that are predicted to occur during the catalytic cycle.     

Interactions of immunoglobulins with liposomes: an ESR and diffusion study demonstrating protection by hydrocortisone.

Heat-aggregated IgG, used as a surrogate for immunoglobulin configuration in immune complexes, mobilized a hydrophobic spin probe within bilayers of anionic liposomes, whereas native IgG was ineffective. Hydrocortisone, preincorporated into liposomal bilayers, both prevented the perturbation of nonpolar membrane regions and reduced the accelerated rate of solute diffusion from liposomes provoked by aggregated immunoglobulin. The capacity of aggregated, but not native, IgG to initiate membrane responses of living cells may therefore be due to its ability to alter surface bilayers or similar configurations of plasma membrane Fc receptors, events antagonized by corticosteroids.     

Biogenesis,characterization, and the effect of vicenin‐gold nanoparticles on glucose utilization in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes: A bioinformatic approach to illuminate its interaction with PTP 1B and AMPK

This study reported the synthesis of Vicenin‐2 gold nanoparticles (VN‐AuNPs) and evaluated their effect on the glucose utilization efficiency of 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. The VN‐AuNPs were characterized by microscopic, DLS and spectral analysis. The bio‐reducing efficiency of Vicenin‐2 (VN) was computed and confirmed by HPLC analysis. The stability of VN‐AuNPs in various physiological media was explored. The cytotoxicity and glucose uptake assays were performed in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. The docking of VN with PTP1B and AMPK was also performed. The color change and UV absorption at 537 nm preliminarily confirmed the VN reduced gold nanoparticles. The VN‐AuNPs appeared as spherical particles (57 nm) and face centered cubic crystals under TEM and XRD analysis, respectively. Its zeta potential was found to be ?6.53 mV. The FT‐IR spectra of VN and its AuNPs confirmed its stability. The computed reducing potential of VN was similar to the extent of VN utilized during the synthesis of VN‐AuNPs. The VN‐AuNPs showed a remarkable stability in different physiological media. At 100 µM concentration, VN‐AuNPs displayed 78.21% cell viability. A concentration dependent increase in glucose uptake was noted in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes when incubated with VN‐AuNPs. The docking data revealed a strong interaction of VN with the binding pockets of PTP1B and AMPK. This demonstrates that the fabricated VN‐AuNPs might enhance the intracellular VN availability mediated cellular glucose utilization and this would serve as a novel nanodrug for the management of diabetes. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1096–1106, 2015